Nuwaubians Accuse Putnam Officials of Violating Their Laws | News

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Members of a controversial religious group say local public officials violated their religious laws.

Notices were sent from Nuwaubians by certified mail to officials in Putnam County -- and one private citizen -- claiming that these individuals had broken the laws of the "United Nuwaupia Nation," the group's title listed on the notice's letterhead.

Regarding the letters, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills says, "We've seen a flurry of that (sort of) activity within the last 60 to 80 days."

The letter to Sills was sent from an Atlanta address.

The Nuwaubians were an Eatonton-based religious group whose leader, Malachi Z. York, was convicted in 2004 on charges of racketeering and child molestation.

York was sentenced to 135 years in prison, which he is serving in a federal prison in Colorado.

The letters are titled "Citizen's Notice of Violation of the Law and Intent to Act" and cite specific violations and dates, including May 8, 2002, when officials raided the compound.

"Quite candidly, you can't worry about something that is complete nonsense," Sills said. "I'm not worried about something saying I've violated the laws of the Magic Kingdom"

The sheriff said he didn't let anyone know about it at first because he didn't want to give attention to the Nuwaubians.

The group was based at a compound in rural Putnam County that featured ornate painted gates and miniature pyramids.

It was seized and razed by the county after York's conviction.

Sills says they have also filed open records requests asking for copies of old files from back during the investigation.